Epilepsy drugs may have damaging effects on children’s bones

In a study published in Epilepsia, young people taking anti-epileptic drugs experienced elevated rates of bone fractures and had reductions in tibial bone mineral density and lower limb muscle force.

The study included 23 individuals aged 5-18 years who had been taking anti-epileptic drugs for at least 12 months. Each individual was matched to a twin, sibling, or first cousin.

The findings suggest the need to further explore bone health issues in young patients taking anti-epileptic medications.

"These results need to be validated in a larger, longitudinal study investigating the association between anti-epileptic drug exposure and adverse outcomes in the developing skeleton over time," wrote the authors of the study.